The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
The advent of social networking systems and advanced mobile devices has facilitated the distribution and use of electronic coupons for use in both electronic commerce (e-commerce) and standard retail environments. Coupons are widely used by businesses to promote goods and services, increase sales by attracting new customers and retaining existing customers, and expand brand awareness through wide distribution. Coupons are increasingly being distributed in electronic form by capitalizing on the capabilities of current mobile devices and the broad installed base of smartphone and mobile device users. This allows retailers and companies to transmit coupons directly to potentially interested customers without relying on traditional distribution methods in which these customers to seek out and find the coupons themselves.
Present methods of electronic coupon distribution are limited in that they do not always provide sufficiently focused targeting of appropriate customers. The incorporation of location-based capabilities in mobile devices has allowed some degree of targeting based on a user's location. However, these methods effectively filter distribution of coupons and ad messages only on the basis of where a person lives and/or where the person is located at a particular moment. They generally do not provide an adequate correlation in terms of particular goods or services that the person might actually be interested in purchasing. Though this is considered to be “targeted” by some, these present methods actually continue to result in a relatively unfocused targeting of coupon and ad messages; thus creating the potential negative effect of bombarding or oversaturating the customer with useless messages. The ability of users to filter or block certain messages exacerbates this problem, as effect of annoying or oversaturating a customer may lead to the user blocking all classes of messages relating to e-commerce solicitations, including both useful and useless coupons. This can thus negate any benefit of distributing coupons electronically, even to an ostensibly targeted population, such as based solely on location.
What is needed therefore, is an electronic coupon and ad message delivery system that provides further effective targeting of potential customers based on actual proven customer interest.